


if you're afraid of falling, then don't look down

by elsironwing



Category: Iron Fist (TV)
Genre: And some sleep, Colleen Wing needs a hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Post IF s2, Reunion, Spoilers, i dont know, there's a hug though, this is just straight up sad at times I don't know what to tell you, this isn't an AU it actually acknowledges canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-19
Packaged: 2019-07-14 09:16:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16037465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elsironwing/pseuds/elsironwing
Summary: The slow progression of starting to talk again, coming to terms with what happened, and finding peace - and eventually, a reunion.(aka - danny and colleen and how they end up back in contact while he's gone, colleen coming to terms with the complicated feelings of it all, and eventually danny coming home. there's a hug)





	if you're afraid of falling, then don't look down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blue_gowns](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_gowns/gifts).



> I tried. The prompt was their reunion scene when Danny returns from Asia. Well, then Raven said on twitter that Danny and Colleen are (most likely) in contact while he's gone, so that made me think of writing it as a progression of their contact leading up to their reunion. And this is... both of those things, but also, lots of Colleen trying to sort out her feelings. This is about 5k+ of all of those things and that's just what you get 
> 
> also the timeline of this is really, really vague. It's written in a chronological order but not at any... real set time. Over a lot of months, though.

The first time he texts her, she doesn't answer. 

( _ Just checking in, Colleen. You okay? _ )

She spends far too long staring at the screen, reading the words over and over, feeling an odd sort of mix of anger and sadness twisting in her chest that makes it hard to breathe. It’s not a good feeling. It’s only been a week since he’d left, and the thought of answering his message is just not a good one - something that she’s not at all ready to do. Especially now, while she’s still angry at him, while she still feels lost and alone and uncertain, unsure of her place in her world, in his world, in  _ everything _ . 

So she doesn’t reply - ignores it, pretends that she’s okay with doing that. (maybe she is). She puts her focus into other things, trying to ignore and push down the part of her that wishes more than anything that Danny was still here with her. She’s got questions that need answering, words that need to be said, that she wants to say, and fears about her new powers to voice. (the lingering hurt of the still-new tattoo is a constant reminder)

But he's gone. He's  _ gone _ . 

(it's hard to accept that)

 

\---

 

The second time that he texts her, she  _ considers _ it. 

( _ Colleen? I understand if you're not ready to talk to me yet, I'd just like to know if you're okay. You don't have to say anything else. _ ) 

He seems more worried, this time, in the way that the text is written. Before it had been a little polite, a little cautious. Now there’s a certain note of worry to it that makes her unsure, makes her think about answering, if only for a moment. She  _ knows _ that he doesn’t want a long answer, just confirmation that she’s okay. 

But that’s the thing - she’s  _ not _ . And she doesn’t want to tell him this, doesn’t know how to. (doesn’t want to trust him with her emotions like that, again). She’s not sure how to explain to him that there’s a piece of her missing now that he’s gone, that she feels abandoned, lost and confused with her power and with no one at her side to help her through that. She feels like she’s drowning. 

She doesn't tell him any of those things. 

She ignores that text, too. 

 

\---

 

It’s nearly been three weeks since he left when she gets the third text. It’s late - or  _ early _ , depending on how you want to look at it - and she’s sitting on the center of the bed staring down at the too-bright screen and can already feel a headache coming on. She’s tired - physically and mentally - and she wasn’t ready for this text, either. 

( _ Just checking in again. I know you don't want to talk to me right now - I don't expect you to, you definitely don't have to. But would you please let me know that you're okay? That you're getting these texts? Worried about you.)  _

A part of her thinks that it might be a little unfair of her, a little wrong, to ignore him. But the rest of her is still hurting from his sudden departure with just a letter left behind, wounds that are still too raw to push through. That part of her knows that she has every right to ignore him, even if it might be hurting him. It’s a complicated mix of feelings, and it’s two in the morning, and she’s  _ tired _ \- never the best combination. But even if she’s angry, she knows that she doesn’t hate him, not enough to leave him worrying like this. 

_ One text, that’s it _ , she tells herself, hesitating before typing out two quick words. 

( _ I'm okay.) _

It’s a lie. She thinks that he’ll know, or will suspect, but that’s all she can say right now, all she can give him. Because he’s right - she doesn’t want to talk to him yet. 

But it's a start. 

 

\---

 

When his phone buzzes with a notification, he’s almost afraid to hope that it might be her. So he hesitates before grabbing his phone, turning it over to the still-bright screen. For a moment his breath catches in his throat when he sees the text, and the rush of  _ relief _ that hits him is staggering, and for that moment he can’t hardly breathe. 

( _ I'm okay. _ ) 

Danny knows that she’s lying - even over text, and knowing the situation, it’s obvious enough. And his heart  _ aches _ , and in that moment all he wants to do is to return home to her and pull her into a hug, apologize, to never leave her again. Every day, he questions if leaving was the right decision. And every day of her silence, he’s questioned more. He knows that he had to, that he has things to do and needs to figure himself out, but at the cost of leaving her behind? In a moment like this, he doesn’t think that it was ever worth it. 

His hands are a little shaky when he goes to type out a response. 

( _ Thank you for checking in _ )

He hesitates. 

( _ I'm here if you need anything _ ) 

He doesn’t expect an answer, not really - she’s angry at him, he’s positive of that. She has every right to be, so the fact that she even answered him is more than enough for now. He won’t pressure her, ever again. As much as he wants to talk to her, to call her and hear her voice again - he  _ knows _ that this has to be at her pace. When  _ she _ decides that she’s ready, not him. He owes her that much, after leaving her like he did. 

So he doesn’t text her frequently - doesn’t want to seem pushy, or irritating - but every few days he says something else. A little thing, checking in, his own sort of way of letting her know that he’s thinking of her. (he hopes that it’s not annoying). Mostly it’s words, but once a picture of the sun rising while in the plane, because he knows that Colleen has always loved the sunrise (he’ll cherish the memory of her pulling him up the roof to watch it one morning forever). She responds, to that one. 

( _ Where are you? _ ) 

When his phone buzzes he immediately grabs his phone, relieved, again, when he sees that it's her. She's texted him all of five words and he'll hold on to every one of them, right now. 

( _ Somewhere in Asia. I'm not sure where exactly, right now. _ ) 

He tries not to stare at the phone waiting for a response that might not even come, because she might be busy or might not want to answer, but he still finds himself checking every few minutes despite his phone not giving him any notifications. 

“You're pathetic,” Ward says, watching him, but with a look that's clearly just amused. 

“I miss her,” Danny replies, shrugging. He won’t lie about that - he misses her more and more every day. 

His phone buzzes again. 

( _ It's beautiful. _ ) 

He smiles. 

 

\---

 

Colleen isn’t sure how to feel about this, yet - being back in contact with Danny, a little more frequently now. A part of her is relieved - he gives her little updates, pictures, and he’s clearly being careful to not say anything too personal or to be too pushy, and she really appreciates that. He’s never impatient for a response - some days she has it in her to reply immediately, sometimes it takes days. 

The other part of her is afraid. She’s not sure, yet, if this is what she wants - if she wants to let him into her life like this right now. Texting is hardly a lot, hardly letting him in, but she still feels  _ uncertain _ . 

The fact that he’s clearly letting her run this, going at her pace, makes it easier. She appreciates that, more than she’ll let him know. She’s still angry, she’s still confused, she still doesn’t quite understand why he had to leave the way that he did. So being able to talk to him slowly, at her pace, has been nice. She can’t lie about that, and she hopes that eventually she’ll have it in her to address this anger and frustration at him, to talk to him about that. But not right now. 

Right now, she’s less frustrated with  _ him _ , and more with the iron fist. It’s been over a month since she took it on, and it’s still… difficult. She can’t hold onto it for long, it takes way too much concentration to use it, and the more that she tries to make it easier, the harder it seems to be. She’s seen Danny use it, she  _ knows _ that it can be easier, but she’s at a loss. She’s seen his methods, the forms that he used, but can’t remember which ones or what order. She’s at a complete loss. 

She only hesitates for a few minutes before grabbing her phone. 

( _ I have a question. I’ve been trying to make it easier, to summon the iron fist, but it still feels like I'm… not quite connected to it, yet. It takes a lot of focus, I can't hold it for long, either. Suggestions? _ ) 

Danny replies within minutes. 

( _ Meditation always helped me. And do you remember the form that Bakuto taught me? It was for recharging chi, but it also helped me focus on it, the fist. You could try that? The dragon - it becomes a part of you, but I think it's normal to not feel fully connected to it at first. _ ) 

She reads it over twice, decides that yes, all of those things make sense. She thinks she remembers most of the form and that it’s at least worth trying. 

( _ I'll try that. _ ) 

( _ Thank you. _ )

It's the first time she's texted him of her own accord, not in response to something. She's not sure how to feel about that, either. 

 

\---

 

Danny doesn't tell her - isn't sure how she'd react - but he's beyond relieved when she brings up the fist without him asking. It's something that's been bothering him for the past few weeks, not knowing how she's handling it, if she's doing okay. He just didn't know if she'd be okay with  _ him _ asking about it, given how it had all happened. 

He considers it, now, something that's on the table to bring up and talk about. That’s a relief, too, because he  _ wants _ to help. He’s hoping that she’ll let him, when she needs it. (he feels guilty for leaving her with it so soon, thinks that maybe this can help make up for that)

 

\---

 

Over the next month, he finds himself slipping into an easier, less tense sort of communication with her. Her texts seem less reluctant, and sometimes she even starts the conversation. There's still an uncomfortable sort of  _ wall  _ between them, of him leaving and of everything that had led up to that, but for now he's just fine with continuing at this slow - and often up and down - pace in communication. (he's thankful every day that she even does talk to him) 

He’s busy, too, finding information, pulling together little threads of her history and slowly starting to make a picture that makes sense. He hasn’t shared any of this yet, hasn’t asked her if she’s ready for that, is waiting, maybe, for her to make that decision herself. But until she’s ready, he’ll keep looking for the answers he needs, and keep figuring himself out along the way. The knowledge that in the end this will all lead him back to New York, back to her, to  _ home _ , is what keeps him moving. It’ll be worth the wait. 

 

\---

 

The thing is - she's still angry at him, to an extent. And now that it's been a couple of months, and she's texting him mostly regularly now, that anger just feels uncomfortable. Not misplaced, necessarily, or unjustified - but she's just tired of being angry with him, of feeling that a lot of the time. She's read his letter over and over countless times, always stuck on those ending words. 

_ I will always love you, Colleen _ . 

She had kept it together when she first read the letter. It hadn't felt real, then, like it couldn’t actually be happening. And later, when it had settled in that he was gone, in the middle of the night, she’d read it again. That had been the only time she'd cried. At that point, the anger had felt reasonable and like the only realistic response. He'd abandoned her, same as everyone else - the one she'd trusted to never do that. That was the reality of it. 

But they haven't talked about it - Danny has been very careful about what they talk about, never bringing it up,  _ waiting _ , she thinks, for her to be ready. Today, she thinks that she is. 

( _ We need to talk _ )

She only has to wait a minute for his reply. 

( _ About what? _ ) 

She tries to push back that uncomfortable itch of anxiety, now, the way that her heart picks up and makes her second guess being ready for this conversation. Before she can text him again, he sends another. 

( _ Call me? _ )

Colleen hesitates. Part of her wants to hear his voice again, part of her doesn't. But she also knows that if they don't have this conversation, it's going to drive her crazy, the not knowing the  _ why _ . And if anything, she can always hang up, end the conversation in a moment if she can't handle it anymore. It’s that thought that she holds on to as she prepares to call. 

He answers after the first ring. 

“Colleen?”

“Hey, Danny.” She can't keep the slight tremor out of her voice, thinks she should be embarrassed about that. 

“It's good to hear from you,” he says, and she has to agree, at least for now. “You wanted to talk?” He sounds like he already knows what this is going to be about. 

“Yeah, I…” she lets out a slow, shaky breath. “Danny, I've read your letter over and over, but… it doesn't make sense. I can't make sense of why you had to leave, and I need you to make it make sense because I…” she hesitates. “I need you to make me understand. I need to understand.” 

Danny’s quiet for a moment, and she tries not to think about that too much. 

“I was hurting you, I  _ did _ hurt you. Everything that happened… it made me realize some things I'd been trying not to think about.” he starts. 

“So you thought that leaving would somehow hurt me less?” she almost laughs. “Because it didn't.” 

“Leaving you was the hardest decision I've had to make,  _ ever _ . Honestly? Part of me regrets it every single day, but… I needed to. Not because of you, but because of  _ me _ . Because I was running us into the ground, and if I kept going like that, I think it would've gotten to the point of no return,” he says, and she can tell he's being honest, can hear it in his voice. 

“You let me take on the iron fist and then  _ left _ when I needed you most. Did you really just have to leave a letter and run off?” 

“It's not my proudest moment, but if I had stayed and told you in person, I'd never have left, Colleen.” 

“And that would have been a bad thing?” she hates how small her voice sounds. She hates how much she misses him, too, it feels like a traitorous part of her. 

“I haven't been the person you needed, I was the person hurting you. I don't want to be that. I want to be the man you deserve, Colleen, and that meant stepping away for now, taking some time apart to figure myself out, figure everything out.” He just stops, letting the silence fall between them for a minute. 

His words make sense - more sense than anything else, so far. Because he  _ had _ hurt her, and part of her sees the logic in his words and in taking time apart - she  _ does _ know that this is good for them. But the other part of her is still just the scared, weaker side of her that's terrified of it - of  _ abandonment.  _ And that feels like the part of her that’s all too prominent right now. 

“You  _ left me _ , Danny. Just like everyone else.” her voice breaks, and she hates it. 

“I know, I know I did, Colleen. You didn't deserve that, either. And I'm sorry for that. You have every right to hate me for it. But if I hadn't left, would we have ever recovered? Would we ever have been able to make  _ us _ work, after everything that happened? If I had stayed, we would've just been hurting each other, ruined what we had.” he hesitates. “And in that moment, the thought of ruining us forever was more painful than the idea of leaving you for a little while. But I'm sorry that I hurt you, I'm sorry for that more than anything else.” 

She's quiet while she takes in his words, forces herself to  _ really  _ consider them, really think about them. There's a lot of logic in what he says, even if it hurts. She's not sure what would've happened if he had stayed - maybe they would've been okay, found their peace. But she thinks he's right, this time, in saying that it likely would have ruined them. She thinks he’s right, in saying that that would’ve hurt more. 

“I can't be sorry for leaving for now, though. Saying that would be a lie, and I won't lie to you. I miss you,  _ so much _ . I'm going to come back - I have some things to figure out first, and I've got some information that will help figure out your past to work on. But in a few months, maybe? I'll come back to you, if you'll let me.”  

“Okay.” she says, taking in a shaky breath. “I'm going to go, now. I think I understand more, but I need to stop for now. Bye.”

(if she cries after that, well, he'll never know)

 

\---

 

The thing that makes it hard is that for the past nearly two years of her life, he’s been a constant presence. He talked her off of the ledge when her world was ripped out from under her, they traveled around the world together tracking the Hand, fought them together, always by each other’s side to hold one another up. And after that, they’d started building a life together. Maybe it had been a lie, at least in part, but it had been _ their _ life. They’d remodeled the dojo  _ together _ , fallen into a comfortable pattern. In some other world, maybe they could’ve made it work. 

And even through all of the ups and downs, the good parts and the bad, the easy ones and the hard - there was one constant feeling, one that she hadn’t quite recognized for what it really was until now.  _ Love _ . She can’t deny that she loved him - loves him, still, maybe. It had started early, progressed into something much bigger, much stronger. She’d loved him, more than anything else. 

And then he  _ left _ . 

The one person that she never thought would leave her, who knew everyone who had abandoned her, and who she had never suspected could be capable of doing the same. She put her trust and her heart into his hands, and he’d broken that, in his own way. She can’t ignore that - she can heal from it, maybe, and can move past it - but it won’t ever change the reality that he  _ had _ . 

But now? She’s not angry with him, not anymore. Anger is such an exhausting feeling, and she’s over it, over carrying it with her every day. Her history with Danny now is a complicated mix of love and anger, a horrible combination, and that’s what makes it hard. Because he was her lifeline, her support, her love - but also the man who had left her behind. (he’s promised to come home to her, and she doesn’t know what to think of that, yet) 

Anger is an exhausting emotion. 

Love is a dangerous one. 

She’s not so sure how to feel about either, right now. 

 

\---

 

She’s not quite sure when she makes that decision - the decision to let him back into her life, to let him stay in her life. She’s really not even sure if it’s a conscious one, or if anything will ever be the same again. Even if they’re never together the way they were before again, she’s realized now, over the course of the past months, how impossible it is to keep him out of her life. They have a lot of shit to work through, but she’d rather do that than never hear from him again. She'd rather put in the work to fix them than to keep him out of her life. She’s come to terms with this reality - the reality that he’s still too important to her to push him away forever. 

(she thinks that one day, she can really forgive him, too)

It’s an up and down journey, shaky progress, but it feels good. After their conversation, she’d taken a little break from talking to him to finally face and try and sort out her feelings on the whole matter. She had been trying to ignore all of that, but something about the talk made her realize that she can’t do that anymore - that she had to face it. And after that break, after that talk, she understands why Danny left. She understands why he felt he had to, and is starting to realize that it might be as good for her as it is for him. She still misses him, but having time to breathe while apart has been good, she can’t really deny that. 

But over the past close to four months of him being gone, she’s come to terms with a lot of things. And now, she’s ready to start moving forward again. Not too fast, but  _ steady _ . She texts him a little more, and slowly the conversations edge more from polite and general to actually talking about what Danny’s working on, how he’s doing, how  _ she’s _ doing, some of the time. Occasionally, she’s even willing to call him to talk. 

It feels like she’s starting to accept these things, starting to put the hurt and the anger down. It feels like a good thing. 

 

\---

 

Without even really realizing that he’s doing it, Danny finds himself making sure that he’s awake at the times that he knows Colleen is normally available to talk, or more likely to. With the changing time zones it’s complicated, but he’s started to memorize the times that she’s more likely to be around. Ward just laughs at him when every time, like clockwork, he makes sure he’s not too busy with anything else to be able to talk to her. 

He’s still a little cautious, but since their first phone call, he’s been getting a more positive reception from her about talking more. They’d had a follow up phone call after the first one, where she’d asked for just a little more clarification on things, which he’d gladly given. 

He doesn’t know how  _ she _ feels, but he knows how he does. He knows that he misses her. Being able to talk to her more and more recently has been a highlight of his life, but almost in a bittersweet sort of way sometimes, because he knows he’s likely still months away from being able to go back, to see her again. And he knows that, most of all, he still loves her - that he’s always going to. And that’s  _ hard _ , because he doesn’t know if she’ll ever reciprocate that feeling again (and he’ll respect her decision either way, without any hesitation). 

(his biggest regret was not realizing that it was love until it was too late, until everything had gone wrong. he’ll never make that mistake again)

 

\---

 

The next months pass in almost a blur. It’s a haze of working, of talking to Danny, of easing herself back into being comfortable with fighting again and those aspects of herself. It’s days spent at the center just trying to keep something normal and steady in her life, of hanging out with Misty when they could find a time that fit for both of them, of helping Danny stitch together the weird threads of her past whenever she has any sort of information that might help. 

It’s months of learning how to breathe again. It’s months of coming to terms with herself, and who she is, and realizing that she can’t push down and lock away any of the pieces of herself like she’d tried to do. It’s realizing that maybe, one day, she’ll be comfortable with all of these pieces of herself again. 

Being apart from Danny has given her the clarity to realize and come to terms with a lot of things. She misses him, but having the time to think has helped, given her perspective. It made her realize that they had tried too hard, and that’s what had hurt them in the end. It’s made her realize that despite that, she still loved him - that maybe she’s incapable of  _ not _ loving him. It’s a lot to consider, a lot to take in, but she’s got the time to breathe and think. (she thinks, one day, she’d like to try again. she thinks, one day, they might make it)

 

\---

 

“That's what I've got, so far. I'm still trying to piece everything together,” Danny says, looking at the notes he's got spread out on the table in front of him, trying to sort through it all without dropping his phone 

“Are you getting any closer to finding how it all connects to the fist, to K’un Lun?” she asks. 

“Maybe. I wish there were people I could actually ask questions, but your only living relative is your father, right?” 

“Yeah, he's… just him. If he’s anything like I remember him, he won’t answer your questions, though,” she says with a bitter note to her words. 

“Figured as much. He's in New York, anyway. I need to finish up over here before coming back. Though, God, I can't wait to be back,” he says with a slight laugh. “I'm getting sick of this plane. I miss the sounds of New York.” 

“New York is still right here waiting for you,” Colleen answers, he can almost  _ hear _ the slight smile in her words. 

He speaks before he can stop himself, before he even realizes what he’s saying. “And you?”

There’s a moment of silence, where he’s afraid that he’s overstepped boundaries, made a mistake. When she replies, he can’t help but smile. 

“I'll be waiting, too.” 

 

\---

 

It takes her a while to realize what she’s doing - making peace with her life, with everything that went wrong. It’s the most freeing feeling in the world. 

 

\---

 

When she gets the text, for a moment it's hard to believe. The one she's been waiting, fearing, hoping for all at once. The one that makes her stomach twist with anxiety, but also her heart beat faster in her chest with a strange sort of excitement. 

( _ I'm coming home. _ )   
  


\---

 

There’s a tight knot of anxiety in her stomach that won’t go away. It’s been there for the past day, since the moment she got his text, knowing that he’s coming home. And now, minutes way from seeing him again, it’s intense enough that she almost feels sick. She has no idea what to say to him, or how to react to any of this - it’s been so long. She’s not angry with him anymore, they’ve worked through that. Instead it’s all an interesting mix of relief and anxiety and fear as she stands out in the chilly evening air waiting for him to exit the plane. 

It had landed not too long ago, and she’s been standing out on the cracked concrete runway since. She fiddles with the cuffs of her jacket, wishes that she could breathe right, is almost afraid of seeing him again after all of these months. Everything is a complicated, tangled mix of feelings that she’s not sure how to sort out anymore. Anger, before. Then a sort of comfort, a sort of peace. And always, though sometimes buried far deep beneath everything else,  _ love _ . It’s all a mess. 

When he finally steps out of the plane, it’s almost… weird, how he still looks the same. When he meets her eyes he smiles, and it’s that same bright smile that he had before, that she’s missed seeing for all of these months. Something has changed, she thinks, in him and the way that he carries himself as he starts towards her. A lot has changed for both of them, between them - but maybe that’s a good thing. 

She hesitates, doesn’t walk out to meet him because it feels like her feet are rooted to where she stands. Instead, she wraps her arms across her stomach and waits, tries to breathe, her heart flying in her chest until he’s standing right in front of her. 

He looks tired, but also relieved, and he lights up with happiness when he reaches her. As he takes another step forward she caves, stepping up to meet him and in a moment she’s up on her toes and she’s got her arms wound around his neck, holding on to him as if letting him go won’t ever be an option (as if he’ll disappear again if she does). His arms are immediately around her in a hug just as tight, enveloping her in his familiar warmth, and she rests her head against his shoulder and breathes him in, trying to blink back the tears she’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry. 

Danny tucks his face against her neck, his arms still tight around her, and she lets herself lean her weight into him to try and be as close as she can. Everything about this feels good, and she hadn’t really realized how much she’d missed this until right now in this moment. She’s missed the feeling of his arms at her waist, her shoulders, how comforting it is to be pressed up against him. She’s missed the way that he always likes to tuck his head against her neck, how it feels to rest her head on his shoulder like this. She’s missed how it all feels  _ safe _ . 

Part of her thinks that she should pull away, but she doesn't, perfectly content to stand here as long as he's willing to, soaking up the moment. 

In the end, she's not sure how long it is before his grip loosens, before she steps back just a little, her hands falling to rest at his waist. His hands are on her upper arms, holding her gently, and the way he's looking at her is overwhelming. He's looking at her the way she feels - unsure if this is real, like it’s almost too good to be real.

“I've missed you so much,” he says softly, and she can see now that his eyes are watery from unshed tears.

In response she just steps forward, wraps her arms around him again and leans her head on his chest. Seconds later she feels him rest his chin on top of her head, arms around her. She's missed this, too. 

She's not naive, or stupid. She knows that things can't go back to the way they were - that they can't just go back to the apartment and fall back into their lives, into their relationship. It's not what she wants, anyway, not like that. They need to talk now that he's back, figure things out, before any sort of attempt at fixing their relationship can happen. But she does know that she loves him, still, wants him in her life. And this feels like a new start, a better start, now that they've had time to figures themselves out. It feels  _ right _ . 

She moves her hands to rest at his waist again, holding on to his shirt, soaking up the warmth of him as he moves one hand to rest at the back of her neck. She tries to hold on to this moment, this feeling, to hold it close to herself and to never let it go. 

“Don't leave me, again.” she whispers against him, not sure if he hears, but  _ of course he does _ . 

“Never again.” he promises. “ _ Never again _ .”

**Author's Note:**

> I TRIED. I really wanted to make the progression for Colleen feel natural, not too fast, and still highlight the conflicting and complicated emotions of it all - in that while she's angry, she doesn't hate him, and still can't deny that she did/does love him. I wanted to get her to a place where she's comfortable talking with him slowly, and I don't think I did a good job but I give up. Eventually I just got to the point where I was out of ideas and not sure what to add anymore. And for Danny I wanted to highlight that he absolutely still loves her, but that he had to make the more (mature) decision to leave so that they didn't ruin each other. Unlike Colleen, he didn't have to slowly progress back into being okay with her. 
> 
> Anyway, I'm strongly considering the idea of doing a part two! That part will be the progression of falling back in love and back into a relationship. That's why this is marked as having two chapters, so we'll see how that goes :)


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